Finding Wonderland
by StillcaresaboutNerding
Summary: My name is Samantha. And today is the day I will die. Today is the day I will find Wonderland, or die trying. Join a woman and her determination to avoid her fate, her journey through a Wonderful Wonder World, and possibly her only real chance to grow as a person in the strangest of ways. The journey will be hard, and she'll have to over come a lot. Can she really do it? Find out.
1. Chapter 1

_**Finding Wonderland**_

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There's a certain therapeutic element to riding a bike with music playing over headphones. The wind at your back cooling you even as it pushes you forward, as you either pedal with haste to get to wherever you're going, or as you leisurely make your way to nowhere as I am. The soft lilts of the piano calming my anxious nerves, the soundtrack of .Hack has always had that effect for me. Could have nothing to do with the music and everything to do with the fact that my best and only friend gave me the CDs before I moved across Canada from the Western Alberta to the East Coast of Nova Scotia.

My name is Samantha. And today is the day I will die. Today is the day I will find Wonderland, or die trying.

My father's side of the family-specifically any females born to it-all seem to have little "Accidents" somewhere around their teen to early twenties. My father's own sister having had her accident at the young age of seventeen. I call it a curse, and I know it will happen to me eventually.

I remember my mother once telling me that they had fought over my name. My mother wanting to name me Isabella, my father wanting anything but that name. Personally, I prefer the name Alice and plan to name whatever lucky female child I have first Alice, after the unfortunate relative we will both have. If I'm lucky enough to ever have a child that is.

With any luck, my three siblings won't be affected by today negatively. Even though they are my bothers and therefore relatively safe, I would hate for them to hear about my death. I will miss them if I survive, but since I haven't had contact with them in the last five years… I highly doubt they are missing me at all. Daddy only ever made me one promise, and my moving in with my mother five years ago sealed the deal. I know he will never let me see them again.

I remember being scared of that threat. Then the reality of living with my father came down on me. At eight years old I was far to young to start hoping for death, for the curse to finish me off quickly. It never came, and eight years later… Eight years wiser to the world and eight years tired of being the shield for my brothers; I left. Moving in with my mother. End of sob story.

I met my best friend Jessica just a few short months later. I was at first weary of her — she had the look of someone that would beat me, the smaller and 'weaker' female-she sat next to me everyday on the bus, using the guise of my quiet shyness, and her own shyness and the fact that she would otherwise have had to wait for another bus to sit beside me. The day I turned my head and spied her drawing in a sketchbook sealed our friendship. Five years later and six provinces away I miss Jessica far more than I've missed my brothers; regardless of the constant texting, I miss living within two blocks of her. I've never told her about my problem, and she prefers not to know about my years with my father. I'd rather save her innocence than tarnish our beautiful friendship. The ring on my right hand is the proof that everything wasn't some cruel dream. The likes of which only I could come up with to torment myself.

I have no real destination in mind, I'm just relaxing my way through a small forest. One of the few things I love about Nova Scotia is that it has no short supply of forestry here, unlike Alberta. It's my first real day off from work and I plan on using it to the fullest in complete idle. With any luck I won't be returning to the fast food joint, the food industry really isn't for me anyway; regardless of the last five years experience. Unless it's tea, video games, history or music. I have no interest or skill in it.

Indeed, my back pack is holding two Nintendo handhelds and an older Sony PSP with only my favourite games and a few of Jessica's top favourites I bought for the soul purpose of being able to play alongside her, are sitting in the pack along with their chargers, my ipod's charger and a change of clothes. one thing I've learned about this province is that you almost never want to be caught without a change of something. Water tends to get in even the most unlikely places… And having wet socks is the worst feeling I've ever had. It lastly contains my bike lock and wallet; incase I decide to get off my bike and wander into what this town calls a mall. Which is little more than an outlet store really, but beggars can't be choosers I guess.

My bike hits a bump in the path, causing my ipod to shuffle randomly onto a different soundtrack. Stopping my bike, and pulling the divide out of my pocket, I look to the screen to figure out where the music is now. Kingdom Hearts OST Twilight Town… How sweet. Quickly changing my ipod's settings to not shuffle randomly on the uneven terrain, and putting the Kingdom Hearts playlist I had made a few weeks prior to today on repeat. Sorry Jessica… I love you but I think I love Kingdom Hearts' music more than .Hack's.

Small woodland animals brave the path too and fro, as I bike behind them. Squirrels, the more brash and possibly foolish of the critters are especially brave today; darting as close to the apparent giant and her odd method of transportation as they can without getting injured. Squirrels may be cute, but that doesn't mean they aren't annoying, flashing my bike's headlight makes them scamper off into nearby trees and chitter at me. Not like I can hear it anyway, to me it just looks like they are scattering around to regroup some kind of squirrely party, they should probably start getting ready for winter. I hear they are pretty severe in Nova Scotia. Still, these squirrels are nothing like the ones back home. Before moving here the only color of squirrel I ever saw were red. The squirrels here are red, grey, and the rarest to see: black. The squirrels here are awesome.

You may be wondering why exactly I would want to go to Wonderland. The answer is hard to explain as I don't know when the females of my father's side-the few that have been born at least-started to have these accidents. My aunt had had a sip of a drink that she had left unattended for just a moment and soon after went the way of the dodo bird in mind, my cousin, her daughter committed suicide at twenty-three. The note had said something about a tea party and that she couldn't find Wonderland. Adults talk to much when children are around, and I was always the small quiet one that hid in plain sight. I made it my life's mission since then to not end up like my aunt and cousin and to find Wonderland. I refuse to share their fate, and insanity isn't my cup of tea to contend with.

A flash of white ahead of me forces me to slam my hands on my breaks and lean my bike to help stop my momentum.

_What the hell was that? _I ask myself once I've come to a stop.

Looking around again, I find that everything looks completely normal. Taking a deep breath, I step off my bike and walk it towards where I had seen the flash. Had I just imagined it? It wouldn't be the first time my mind had tried to trick me that I was about to head to Wonderland. It must be some kind of divine punishment for being so cynical and determined to nix my fate.

No, there it is again… The white flash was closer to me now, and I slowed my walking to an almost timid step. In front of me was a rather large shrub; leaning my bike against my hip, I moved the shrub away slowly, bracing myself for disappointment.

What I found there would seal my already rather muggy fate.

A small, black rabbit was looking up at me with disdain filled heterochromic eyes. One a crisp blue, the other a deep blood red. That wasn't even the most confusing thing about the rabbit. It seemed to be wearing… Clothes, and a monocle of all things. Blinking rapidly, I rubbed my eyes at the strange sight in disbelief. Rabbits don't wear clothes.

"Hey! Wait bunny!" I shouted after it as it bolted down the path ahead of me.

Not having time to make a logical decision, I followed the rabbit, quickly mounting my bike and tailing after the strange little creature. I wasn't prepared for the steep hill when it came. My bike and I were sent flying when my front wheel caught on a hidden root. Grasping the handle bars for dear life, the world flashed before my eyes.

I closed my eyes and braced for what I was sure would be a painful landing, only to open my eyes again in disbelief when I didn't hit the path. In fact, there was no longer a path, I was simply falling down endlessly. Shutting my eyes and breathing deeply, I opened my eyes again and looked down. Nope, no ground, just an endless drop. Oh hell, am I dead?

I was reminded of my mother's words, "Be careful what you wish for Sammy… You might just get it." She had said that just before moving to Nova Scotia three years before me moving there. After an argument about my dead stepfather. Hindsight is twenty-twenty they say… Should have packed my glasses.

"Ha! Knew you'd follow me! Shows White good!" a small voice chirped behind me, "still did you have to bring that contraption with you?"

Looking behind myself, by turning I saw that the one that had spoken was the rabbit. Looking for all the world the cat that ate the canary. Oh hell, I've died and gone crazy… Just great, thanks fate… May as well play along.

"My bike?" I asked lamely, "Wait a second… 'Knew I'd follow you'? What are you talking about little bunny?" I asked.

"Pfff you're stupid," the rabbit answered, "well, we can't keep falling forever.. Here, drink this," it ordered as it passed me a small vial.

Looking the vial over, I stored the information that it was a light blue and had a heart shaped stopper… Interesting.

"Why would I drink this?" I asked cooly ignoring the jibe from the bunny.

"Because if you don't you'll probably die at the bottom of this rabbit hole." bunny explained giving me quite a look for something so small and fluffy… And the way it was said… So matter-of-fact as if it didn't care that it had condemned me to die if I didn't do what it said.

Ah death… A familiar threat. Glaring at the rabbit, I opened the stopper and drowned the liquid within.

"Now what bunny?" I asked angrily, pulling the straps on my helmet a little tighter to hopefully protect my head from whatever was at the bottom of this hole.

"It's Sidney… Sidney Black. And I'm not a bunny. I am a rabbit," Sidney said cooly crossing his little bunny arms.

"Fine Sidney," I said rolling my eyes, "I've decided you're male, alright? You're to much of a jerk to be female," I finished cooly crossing my arms around my handlebar.

"Of course I'm male!" the bunny shouted, his ears suddenly perking, "We're about to hit the bottom. Welcome, Samantha… To Wonderland," he finished with a smile.

Everything then went black, and I knew no more.

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There, first chapter… Feel free to toss me to the proverbial lions with criticism… Or ask me anything in Reviews… I'll update again quite soon I promise. Thanks for reading!

-StillcaresaboutNerding


	2. Chapter 2

Sidney's POV.

She fainted, I noted huffing at the girl and her bike. Pitiful really, but I had beaten White to the outsider… And gotten her to follow me as an added bonus. No need to kidnap there, unlike that other Prime Minister with his Alice in the backwater Country of Hearts. Though, I did trick her about the Medicine of Heart; drink it or not, she'd have survived the rather slow fall to Wonderland.

I almost wonder what she'll do on her own here. Ah well, so long as she stays out of my way and out of the Castle of Diamond, I can't say I really care. Still, Diamond is far more dangerous than the other countries… My own Queen Crysta being a source of eternal torment and annoyance. Her bouts of turning the staff and visiting dignitaries to ice in her sick garden are enough to make me almost wish the Outsider with me never steps foot into the castle. Better to let a sleeping dog lie.

That and unnatural yellow roses are disgusting. I prefer them black, pitch if I can get away with it before the queen notices that her rose garden has been painted again.

The bike and the girl crash to the old upturned ground in an almost undignified heap, her odd hat scraping the tombstone of some random faceless from who knows when.

The graveyard? Looking around for the dodo's guards tensely and breathing a quiet sigh of relief. They must be helping the Man Already Dead with his little mafia organization this time period. While there are no corpses in this territory, despite its name. The guards are suspicious of everything that enters it. Grave robbing makes sense to some of the poorer people of Diamond Country, but the guards are watchful and loyal to a fault. It has been a long time since a grave was robbed here since the dodo took over.

Looking down at the girl, and looking at the surrounding area again using both my eyes and ears to scope out any intruders. I quickly tuck the vial that had fallen out of the girl's hand at some point and turn to leave the girl and the territory behind.

I wouldn't be caught dead here… The Outsider can take care of herself. I have bigger fish to contend with.

Samantha's POV.

**_The Dream Realm_**

"Oh what's this?" a careful voice asked.

"Urg, what hit me?" I asked looking around myself.

A seemingly endless space of color was before me.

"Scratch that, where the hell am I?"

"Wonderland Samantha," the voice called out.

"Who's there?!" I shouted, jumping to my feet looking for the source of the voice, "Show yourself!"

The voice laughed, it was a deep chuckle that seemed to make the colors around shift and fade to lighter tones, "Would if I could my dear. Your mind is in the Dream Realm… My realm to be precise… But I'm in Clover Country, and that's quite far away from where you are… Besides, I think you should wake up. You're not exactly safe where you are right now," the voice finished fading off in the distance.

Willing myself to stay as long as I could I shouted once more into the fading colors, "No, wait! You haven't told me where I am yet! Don't leave me on my own!"

The colors swirled out of focus and once more, I was left in the darkness.

**_The Graveyard_**

It was a distinctive pain on my back and forehead that woke me. Feeling dirt beneath me, I could only surmise that when I fell down that hole, my bike had decided to land on my back. My forehead I explained myself had to be uncomfortable from wearing a helmet for so long in an awkward position.

Pushing my hands under myself, I found whatever I had been lying on to be recently moved earth, groaning, I looked in front of myself to see if I could see anything other than dirt.

A headstone was sitting in front of where I had landed. Gasping in shock at the sight, I pushed myself and my bike up and off of the grave. The front wheel of my bike began spinning wildly from the momentum of me moving so fast. Pre-dawn light suddenly blinded me. Just how long had I been unconscious?

And where was that rabbit?

Looking around again, I could found that there was not hide nor hair of the rabbit that had called himself 'Sidney Black'.

_Well, that's just peachy!_ I thought to myself bitterly.

Looking back to the headstone, I put my hands together and bowed my head apologetically at it, "I'm really sorry for disturbing your rest. Next time I come I'll be sure to bring you some flowers or something, alright?" I asked half expecting an answer.

"Well, isn't that cute?" a low voice interrupted, making me jump as something hard was placed behind my back, "hands where I can see them honey."

Putting my hands up slowly I voiced quietly, "I'm unarmed sir… Are you a police officer?"

"We're the guards. What are you doing in the graveyard?" another voice asked, a tired rumble.

"Not trying to rob any graves while we were away are you?" the first asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"No!" I said quickly, "I would never desecrate the dead like that!"

I then gasped again, he first man had slowly helped me to my feet and turned me. Not only was he well over a foot taller than my meagre five foot height, he didn't have a face. Well, that's not entirely true… The features were there, but they were very blurred… I couldn't tell you what color his eyes were if it would save my life. But, he did seem to have the probably same shocked expression on his face as I had on mine.

"She has a face," the rumbly one stated.

"Uhh.." I spouted numbly, looking between the two of them… didn't have a face either. I slowly went back down and grabbed my bike, subtly getting on it as quickly and quietly as I could while the two of them chatted.

I have no idea what they're talking about, but it can hardly be a good thing.

"We should probably take her to the Don," the first one said looking back at me, "He'll want to know that a roleholder just came to his territory unannounced," I swear this guy is smiling at me with some kind of sick glee.

Oh hell no… Quickly making a mental path through the graveyard to what I can only hope is the way out. I give the 'gentlemen' a quick wave.

"That's not going to work for me guys. I'm going to have to leave you.. Sadly," I state pedalling down the steep hill away from the two dumbstruck men.

"Hey! Wait!" they both shouted after me, running to catch up… Damn these guys are fast.

A sudden weightless feeling grips me as the wheels of my bike once more leave the ground, this time quickly depositing me on the other side of what I had tried to fly over… Another grave, this one the two of them had apparently come from seeing as there was a small hill of dirt and a shovel harshly put in the dirt pile, keeping it in place. The dizzying wave of nausea from my short flight and the landing caused my eye sight to once more fade in and out of focus.

"Are you crazy kid?" rumbles asks with what I can only imagine is a look of disbelief, when he and his friend caught up to me.

"My bike!" I shout looking at the poor mess of what was my bike. I must not have noticed it earlier, but the frame and fork of the bike were bent at small, but awkward angles. No wonder I had gone for a flight, the poor thing itself didn't know if it was going straight, and in my haste I hadn't noticed its pain. Thank whatever deities looking down at me laughing because I still had my now very dirty and probably mangled helmet on.

The other one looks me over quickly, getting in my face, checking my eyes, "I think she has a concussion Jack," oh so that's what rumble's name is.

"No shit?" Jack asks sarcastically, "Thomas pick her up… She obviously can't be trusted to walk on her own. Leave that… Thing," he ordered pointing at me and the bike in turn, "here… We'll clean this mess up later."

Mumbling incoherently and weakly trying to shove Thomas' hands away from me, weightlessness hit me once more as I was put over the man's shoulder.

I was out cold before my face hit his back.


End file.
